Search

Abstract The shape and extent of the plastic zone can effectively reflect the degree of deformation and failure of the surrounding rock. By applying complex variable functions and the theory of elasticity, a mechanical model for the surrounding rock of a rectangular roadway is established. The analytical solution for the stress in the surrounding rock of a rectangular roadway under a non-uniform stress field is derived, and the spatial stress distribution pattern in the surrounding rock of the rectangular roadway is obtained. Furthermore, using the Mohr-Coulomb criterion, the boundary equation of the plastic zone in the surrounding rock of a rectangular roadway is derived, and the morphological characteristics of the plastic zone are obtained. The results indicate that the plastic zones on both sides of the rectangular roadway are arc-shaped. The asymmetry of the stress environment has a significant impact on the plastic zones in the roof and floor of the rectangular roadway, causing the shape of the plastic zones to resemble a “petal” pattern. The lateral pressure coefficient and the height-to-width ratio have a significant impact on the stress distribution and the morphological characteristics of the plastic zone in the surrounding rock of the rectangular roadway. By validating the computational accuracy of the analytical solution through numerical simulations and conducting an engineering applicability analysis based on a coal mine roadway, it has been demonstrated that the analytical calculation method is both rational and possesses good engineering applicability. This provides reliable theoretical guidance for the design calculations and construction planning of similar roadway projects.

Abstract Background Congenital diarrheas and enteropathies (CODEs) caused by diacylglycerol transferase 1 (DGAT1) mutations often cause disease within 2 weeks after birth. If not treated properly, the disease can be life-threatening; therefore, early diagnosis and rational treatment strategies are essential. This study was conducted to improve the understanding of congenital diarrhea caused by DGAT1 deficiency. Methods Clinical data from five congenital diarrhea infant cases caused by DGAT1 deficiency were analyzed. Infants were prospectively provided with a nutritional intervention with a low-fat amino acid formula for special medical purposes (FSMP). Their gastrointestinal symptoms and nutritional complications before and after interventions were compared. Results Due to poor weight gain and gastrointestinal symptoms after birth, infants were treated by our clinical nutritionist. Genetic testing confirmed a compound heterozygous mutation in DGAT1. Neither hydrolyzed nor high-medium chain triglyceride (MCT) formula significantly alleviated diarrheal symptoms; however, a low-fat amino acid diet rapidly relieved symptoms and significantly improved nutritional status, with infants showing better tolerance to dietary fat content with age. Conclusions Infants with DGAT1 deficiency can be diagnosed by genetic testing. A low-fat amino acid FSMP formula and diet can quickly relieve diarrhea, vomiting, and other symptoms, and also improve infant growth and development. Trial registration Ethical approval was obtained from the Medical Ethics Committee of the Children’s Hospital of Fudan University (reference code: No.(2022)405).

In this study, aiming at fulfilling the requirement of polarization acquisition and utilization, a method for active deception jamming recognition based on the time-varying polarization-conversion metasurface is investigated. First, an anisotropic phase-modulated metasurface supporting 3-bit phase quantization in the 9.6～10.1 GHz frequency band is designed. By optimizing the periodical phase coding, the polarization state can be converted on demand. And then, loading the polarization-conversion metasurface on a single polarization radar antenna so that the polarization states of the antenna can change along a specific trajectory. By extracting the difference in the polarization domain between target and active deception jamming, the active deception jamming could be distinguished from the radar echo. The simulation results show that under the constraints of three different polarization trajectories, the active deception jamming and targets exhibit a significant clustering effect, and the identification effect is stable. Compared with jamming identification methods that rely on dual-polarization or full-polarization radar systems, the proposed method has both low cost and high efficiency, which has great application potential in radar anti-jamming.

Abstract Purpose To investigate the associations between the most popular social media platform WeChat usage and cognitive performance among the middle-aged and older Chinese population using data from a nationally representative survey. Methods In total, 17,472 participants (≥ 45 years old) from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, Wave 4, 2018) were analyzed. Cognitive performance including episodic memory and executive function was assessed using Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE). Other confounding variables included socio-economic characteristics, medical status, and lifestyle-related information. Multiple linear regression models were used to test the association between cognitive performance and WeChat usage by introducing covariates hierarchically. Subgroup analyses of age and gender were conducted to estimate the robustness of the primary findings. Results After adjusting for multiple confounders across all linear models, WeChat usage is significantly associated with executive function, episodic memory, and global cognitive performance (all p values

Abstract To examine the disparity in deformation behavior and mechanical qualities between anchor cables with C-shaped tubes and regular anchor cables under shear conditions. The double-sided shear tests of free-section anchor cables and anchor cables with C-shaped tubes were conducted utilizing the indoor large-scale double-shear test equipment with varying pretension loads. The indoor double-shear tests indicate that the inclusion of the C-shaped tube alters the stress distribution of the anchor cables inside the anchor cables with C-shaped tubes and mitigates the impact of stress concentration. Moreover, it facilitates the transition of the anchor cable's failure mode from a mix of tensile and shear breaking to mainly tensile breakage. In addition, ABAQUS finite element analysis software was used to establish a double shear test model of the anchor cable with C-shaped tube to accurately simulate the interaction and stress distribution among the anchor cable, C-shaped tube, and concrete block in the double shear test. The findings of the simulation results reveal that the numerical model can adequately depict the evolution of the stress distribution in the prestressed anchored structure and the damage of the concrete block with increasing shear displacement. The relational equation for the yield state of the anchor cable with C-shaped tube under combined tensile and shear loads is found by integrating the experimental and simulation data, the static beam theory, and the concept of minimal potential energy.

Roof openings are typically fitted to naturally ventilated dairy building (NVDB) for better ventilation but their impact on air pollutant emission calculations has not been fully considered. Particulate matter (PM) emission rate (ER) for NVDB rely on the total ventilation rate (VR), outdoor PM concentration and average indoor PM concentration sampled either under the roof (Roof Sampling) or in the cubicle area (Cubicle Sampling), which may show large deviations due to its spatiotemporal variation of PM concentrations and complex airflow patterns. This study utilised a novel ER calculation method (Joint Sampling) that computes the respective emission from the roof and sidewall openings by matching each outlet's VR and PM concentration. By year-round field measurements of PM2.5 and the total suspended particulates (TSP), results showed that annual average ERs of PM2.5 and TSP were 10.8 mg h−1 cow−1 and 45.7 mg h−1 cow−1 for Roof Sampling, 12.7 mg h−1 cow−1 and 40.7 mg h−1 cow−1 for Cubicle Sampling, and 11.7 mg h−1 cow−1 and 45.9 mg h−1 cow−1 for Joint Sampling. Considering the Joint Sampling results were relatively true, Roof Sampling exhibited a maximum underestimate of PM2.5 emissions of 20.8% when sidewall curtains were fully opened, whilst Cubicle Sampling demonstrated a maximum overestimate of TSP of 10.2% when the aperture was closed. Using Joint Sampling, the roof opening contributed 39.3% and 24.4% of the annual PM2.5 and TSP emissions. When sidewall openings are partially or fully closed, the Joint Sampling calculation is preferable to estimate the ER of PM.

Spectral polarization filtering in the range–Doppler domain plays an important role in weather radar clutter mitigation. However, when ground clutter and precipitation overlap, these methods tend to filter out clutter-contaminated precipitation, leading to estimation errors. To address this problem, this article proposes a ground clutter and noise mitigation method based on range–Doppler spectral processing for polarimetric Doppler weather radars. The proposed method can filter out clutter and noise and retain precipitation overlapped with clutter by analyzing the property differences between precipitation and clutter and noise in the range–Doppler spectrogram. Specifically, due to the spatial continuity of precipitation in the range–Doppler domain, the spectral moments (e.g., velocity and spectral width) are also continuous. In addition, polynomial fitting is used to compensate for the missing spectral moments, and the missing precipitation is recovered by Gaussian fitting using the computed spectral moments. The results demonstrate performance improvements after applying the proposed method to radar data collected by Chinese operational weather radars. The proposed method is compared with several other algorithms, and the comparison results show that the proposed method performs best in clutter and noise suppression and precipitation retention performance.

In order to solve the severe damage and difficult support of lower group coal roadways under the influence of mining in upper group coal seams near Malan Mine, a field survey, numerical simulation, and theoretical analysis were conducted to analyze the stress environment of roadway surrounding rock during tunnel excavation and upper group coal mining. Based on this analysis, a strengthening support plan with combination structure of original plan and pipe cable was proposed, comparing the development of plastic zones and surrounding rock deformation between the original support plan and the strengthening support plan. The results showed that under the strengthening support plan, the vertical displacement and horizontal displacement of roadway surrounding rock reduced by 12.76%, 11.09%, and 17.06%, 16.63% respectively under tunnel excavation and mining influence, and the development of plastic zones was also significantly improved compared to the original support; the combination structure of pipe cable strengthening support plan has good supporting effect and can effectively control roadway surrounding rock development.

Ship contour extraction is vital for extracting the geometric features of ships, providing comprehensive information essential for ship recognition. The main factors affecting the contour extraction performance are speckle noise and amplitude inhomogeneity, which can lead to over-segmentation and missed detection of ship edges. Polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) images contain rich target scattering information. Under different transmitting and receiving polarization, the amplitude and phase of pixels can be different, which provides the potential to meet the uniform requirement. This paper proposes a novel ship contour extraction framework from PolSAR images based on polarization modulation. Firstly, the image is partitioned into the foreground and background using a super-pixel unsupervised clustering approach. Subsequently, an optimization criterion for target amplitude modulation to achieve uniformity is designed. Finally, the ship’s contour is extracted from the optimized image using an edge-detection operator and an adaptive edge extraction algorithm. Based on the contour, the geometric features of ships are extracted. Moreover, a PolSAR ship contour extraction dataset is established using Gaofen-3 PolSAR images, combined with expert knowledge and automatic identification system (AIS) data. With this dataset, we compare the accuracy of contour extraction and geometric features with state-of-the-art methods. The average errors of extracted length and width are reduced to 20.09 m and 8.96 m. The results demonstrate that the proposed method performs well in both accuracy and precision.

The KR resistance curve for hydraulic crack propagation in a concrete beam was determined and discussed. A semi-analytical method was introduced to calculate the hydraulic crack propagation in concrete. A series of concrete beams with various hydraulic pressures and initial crack depths were tested, and the hydraulic crack propagation in these beams was calculated. The calculated P-CMOD curves were first verified, and then the calculated KR resistance curve for hydraulic crack propagation was determined. Based on the test results and calculation results, the following conclusions can be drawn: The proposed analysis method can accurately predict the hydraulic crack propagation process in concrete. The KR resistance to hydraulic crack propagation in concrete decreases with the increase in hydraulic pressure but is less influenced by the initial crack depth of the test beams. In addition, the concrete beams collapse immediately under hydraulic fracturing once the KIw curve reaches the KR resistance curve. This indicates that the failure of concrete structures under hydraulic fracturing occurs immediately once the driving force of crack propagation, dominated by the hydraulic pressure in the crack, becomes significant.

Acetone is a biomarker found in the expired air of patients suffering from diabetes. Therefore, early and accurate detection of its concentration in the breath of such patients is extremely important. We prepared Tin(IV) oxide (SnO2) nanospheres via hydrothermal treatment and then decorated them with bimetallic PtAu nanoparticles (NPs) employing the approach of in situ reduction. The topology, elemental composition, as well as crystal structure of the prepared materials were studied via field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The findings revealed that bimetallic PtAu-decorated SnO2 nanospheres (PtAu/SnO2) were effectively synthesized as well as PtAu NPs evenly deposited onto the surface of the SnO2 nanospheres. Pure SnO2 nanospheres and PtAu/SnO2 sensors were prepared, and their acetone gas sensitivity was explored. The findings demonstrated that in comparison to pristine SnO2 nanosphere sensors, the sensors based on PtAu/SnO2 displayed superior sensitivity to acetone of 0.166–100 ppm at 300 °C, providing a low theoretical limit of detection equal to 158 ppm. Moreover, the PtAu/SnO2 sensors showed excellent gas response (Ra/Rg = 492.3 to 100 ppm), along with fast response and recovery (14 s/13 s to 10 ppm), good linearity of correlation, excellent repeatability, long-term stability, and satisfactory selectivity at 300 °C. This improved gas sensitivity was because of the electron sensitization of the Pt NPs, the chemical sensitization of the Au NPs, as well as the synergistic effects of bimetallic PtAu. The PtAu/SnO2 sensors have considerable potential for the early diagnosis and screening of diabetes.

The corner reflector is an effective means of interference for radar seekers due to its high jamming intensity, wide frequency band, and combat effectiveness ratio. Properly arranging multiple corner reflectors in an array can form dilution jamming that resembles ships, substantially enhancing the interference effect. This results in a significant decline in the precision attack efficiency of radar seekers. Hence, it is critical to accurately identify corner reflector array. The common recognition methods involve extracting features on the high-resolution range profile (HRRP) and polarization domain. However, the former is constrained by the number of corner reflectors, while the latter is affected by the accuracy of polarization measurement, both of which have limited performance on the identification of corner reflector array. In terms of the evident variations in physical structures, there must be differences in their scattering characteristics. To highlight the differences, this paper proposes a new method based on the concept of mismatched filtering, which involves changing the frequency modulation slope of the chirp signal in the filter. Then, the variance of width and intervals within a specific scope are extracted as features to characterize these differences, and an identification process is designed in combination with the support vector machine. The simulation experiments demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits stable discriminative performance and can effectively combat dilution jamming. Its accuracy rate exceeds 0.86 when the signal-to-noise ratio is greater than 0 dB. Compared to the HRRP methods, the recognition accuracy of the proposed algorithm improves 15% in relation to variations in the quantity of corner reflectors.

As the global aging population increases, the demand for rehabilitation of elderly hand conditions has attracted increased attention in the field of wearable sensors. Owing to their distinctive anti-electromagnetic interference properties, high sensitivity, and excellent biocompatibility, optical fiber sensors exhibit substantial potential for applications in monitoring finger movements, physiological parameters, and tactile responses during rehabilitation. This review provides a brief introduction to the principles and technologies of various fiber sensors, including the Fiber Bragg Grating sensor, self-luminescent stretchable optical fiber sensor, and optic fiber Fabry–Perot sensor. In addition, specific applications are discussed within the rehabilitation field. Furthermore, challenges inherent to current optical fiber sensing technology, such as enhancing the sensitivity and flexibility of the sensors, reducing their cost, and refining system integration, are also addressed. Due to technological developments and greater efforts by researchers, it is likely that wearable optical fiber sensors will become commercially available and extensively utilized for rehabilitation.

Abstract Ectoine has gained considerable attention as a high-value chemical with significant application potential and market demand. This study aimed to increase ectoine yields by blocking the metabolic shunt pathway of l-aspartate-4-semialdehyde, the precursor substrate in ectoine synthesis. The homoserine dehydrogenase encoded by hom in H. campaniensis strain XH26 is responsible for the metabolic shunt of l-aspartate-4-semialdehyde to glycine. CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to seamlessly knockout hom, blocking the metabolic shunt pathway to increase ectoine yields. The ectoine yield of XH26/Δhom was 351.13 mg (g CDW)−1 after 48 h of incubation in 500 mL shake flasks using optimal medium with 1.5 mol L−1 NaCl, which was significantly higher than the 239.18 mg (g CDW)−1 of the wild-type strain. Additionally, the absence of the ectoine metabolic shunt pathway affects betaine synthesis, and thus the betaine yields of XH26/Δhom was 19.98 mg (g CDW)−1, considerably lower than the 69.58 mg (g CDW)−1 of the wild-type strain. Batch fermentation parameters were optimized, and the wild-type strain and XH26/Δhom were fermented in 3 L fermenters, resulting in a high ectoine yield of 587.09 mg (g CDW)−1 for the defective strain, which was significantly greater than the ectoine yield of 385.03 mg (g CDW)−1 of the wild-type strain. This study showed that blocking the metabolic shunt of synthetic substrates effectively increases ectoine production, and a reduction in the competitively compatible solute betaine appears to promote increased ectoine synthesis.

Background: Few studies have examined the role of outdoor air pollution exposure in sarcopenia in Asia. We aimed to investigate the association of outdoor air pollutants exposure with sarcopenia among Chinese adults. Methods: This nationally population-representative study used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) in 2015, 11,700 participants at least 45 years old from 125 Chinese cities were included. Sarcopenia status was identified according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 (AWGS 2019) criteria. Ambient annual average air pollutants including fine particulate matter (PM2.5), inhalable particles (PM10), coarse particulate matter (PMcoarse), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and carbon monoxide (CO) were estimated by satellite models and ground-based measurements. Multinomial logistic regression models were performed to examine the associations of air pollutants exposure with different status of sarcopenia (including possible sarcopenia and sarcopenia). Stratified analyses were utilized to assess the effect modifiers. Results: Among the 11,700 participants (52.6% women), the average age was 61.0 years. Each 10 μg/m3 increment of annual PMcoarse was associated with a higher risk of possible sarcopenia (odds ratio (OR) = 1.08, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04–1.11). Stratified analyses showed a positive risk of possible sarcopenia in women after exposure to PM10, PMcoarse, and NO2. Ambient NO2 exposure was positively associated with sarcopenia (OR = 1.13, 95% CI 1.04–1.22) in those aged 65 years and older. However, we have not observed differences by sex, age, residence, smoking, and drinking. Robustness results were found for PMcoarse in the sensitivity analyses. Conclusion: This nationwide study suggested that long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution, especially for PMcoarse, was associated with the risk of sarcopenia among Chinese adults. Our findings provide epidemiological implications for protecting healthy ageing by improving air quality.

Abstract The discovery of semiconductor has witnessed remarkable strides toward high performance of photodetectors attributed to its excellent carrier properties. However, semimetal, owning to the high carrier concentration and low carrier mobility compared to those of semiconductor, is generally considered unsuitable for photodetection. Herein, we demonstrate an outstanding photodetection in a layered semimetal titanium diselenide (TiSe2) in Bose–Einstein condensation (BEC) state. High sensitivity of semimetal photodetector is realized in the range of visible, infrared and terahertz bands. The noise equivalent power (NEP) has threefold improvement at the visible and infrared wavebands, and significant decrease by one order of magnitude in the terahertz frequencies via BEC phenomenon, attributed to the electrical parameter variation after condensation. The best NEP value in the terahertz frequency is comparable to that of commercial Si photodetector. Our results show another recipe to fabricate high performance of photodetection via semimetal except for semiconductor and pave the way to exploit macroscopic quantum phenomena for optoelectronics.

Abstract Objective To investigate the long‐term changes in nutritional status in children with solid tumors during treatment and the relationship between nutritional status and clinical outcomes. Methods This study was a retrospective medical records review of data from children who were diagnosed with solid tumors and followed up for more than 3 months from January 2016 to December 2021 in China. Patient demographics and clinical information, including nutritional status, parenteral nutrition use, intensive care unit (ICU) transfers, infection during hospitalization, hospitalization frequency, length of stay, hospitalization costs and antibiotic costs, were collected to analyze the nutritional status of children with different types of solid tumors, the dynamic changes in nutritional status during treatment, and the relationship between nutritional status and clinical outcomes. Results Among the 764 patients (383 males (50.1%); 381 females (49.9%); mean age: 2.58 years), 41.6% of the solid tumors were neuroblastomas, 17.1% were hepatoblastomas, and Wilms tumors as the third most common solid tumors (8.9%). The median follow‐up duration was 6 months (range: 3–40 months). At diagnosis, the proportion of children who were undernourished (underweight and wasting) versus overweight or obese were 26.71% versus 5.21% (25.86% vs. 2.89% in the third month; 29.77% vs. 2.28% in the sixth month; 24.77% vs. 3.27% in the 12th month). The body mass index Z scores decreased from the initial values after the first month (−0.56 (−1.47, 0.23) vs. −0.44 (−1.29, 0.41)) but improved later and decreased again at 6 months. The children in the undernutrition group had longer hospital stays (p

ObjectivesEpidemiological studies suggested a potential connection between education and autoimmune disorders. This study investigated the possible cause-and-effect relationship using a Mendelian randomization approach.MethodsWe explored the causality between four education traits (n = 257,841~1,131,881) and 22 autoimmune diseases. The mediating role of smoking (632,802 individuals), BMI (681,275 individuals), alcohol (335,394 individuals), and income (397,751 individuals) was also investigated. Transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS) and enriched signaling pathways analysis were used to investigate the underlying biological mechanisms.ResultsEspecially, higher cognitive performance was protective for psoriasis (odds ratio (OR) = 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.60-0.79, p = 6.12×10-8), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (OR = 0.75, 95% CI = 0.67-0.83, p = 4.62×10-6), and hypothyroidism (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.77-0.90, p = 9.82×10-6). Higher levels of educational attainment decreased risks of psoriasis (OR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.52-0.72, p = 1.12×10-9), RA (OR = 0.68, 95% CI = 0.59-0.79, p = 1.56×10-7), and hypothyroidism (OR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.72-0.88, p = 5.00×10-6). The completion of highest-level math class genetically downregulates the incidence of psoriasis (OR = 0.66, 95% CI = 0.58-0.76, p = 2.47×10-9), RA (OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.63-0.81, p = 5.28×10-8), and hypothyroidism (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.79-0.92, p = 8.88×10-5). Higher self-reported math ability showed protective effects on Crohn’s disease (CD) (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.55-0.81, p = 4.96×10-5), RA (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.67-0.87, p = 5.21×10-5), and psoriasis (OR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.65-0.88, p = 4.08×10-4). Protein modification and localization, response to arsenic-containing substances may participate in the genetic association of cognitive performance on UC, RA, psoriasis, and hypothyroidism. According to mediation analyses, BMI, smoking, and income served as significant mediators in the causal connection between educational traits and autoimmune diseases.ConclusionHigher levels of education-related factors have a protective effect on the risk of several autoimmune disorders. Reducing smoking and BMI and promoting income equality can mitigate health risks associated with low education levels.

The act of standing up is one of the most important movements in daily life, but it often poses challenges for elderly individuals with declining physical functions. To address this issue, we have designed an assistive device for sit-to-stand (STS) movement. This device aids the upper limbs, allowing them to bear some of the weight during the STS movement, thereby improving the force distribution on the lower limbs and enhancing the stability of the body during movement. The connection to the user is very straightforward; one simply needs to place their hands and arms on the lifting mechanism to connect, and after the STS movement is completed, the user can easily disengage, making it very convenient to use. The device is compact, equipped with wheels and a handle, allowing it to be flexibly moved and used in confined spaces such as bedrooms, bathrooms, and balconies. ADAMS-LifeMOD simulations indicate that the use of the STS movement assistive device can significantly improve the force distribution across the joints of the lower limbs and reduce the pressure on the soles of the feet against the ground. Subsequently, a prototype was built, and four volunteers were invited to conduct further experimental validation, comparing the changes in plantar pressure during the STS movement with and without the assistive device, as well as the subjective feelings of the users. The experimental results demonstrate that the device can effectively help users to stand up more easily.

To study the phenomenon of large deformation and the failure of roadways under dynamic pressure, this paper takes the 10607 gas drainage roadway as the research object and presents the results of a theoretical derivation of equations for the boundary of the plastic zone of a dynamic pressure roadway with and without supporting force. The impacts of the mining influence coefficient and supporting force on the plastic zone boundary were explored for various lateral pressure coefficients. As the supporting force was increased, it was observed that there was a slight reduction in the radius of the plastic zone of the dynamic pressure roadway, while its scope and shape barely changed. Based on the failure mechanism of the dynamic pressure roadway, active and passive support technology was proposed, and the support effect was analyzed using FLAC3D 5.0 numerical simulation software for the case of the 10607 gas drainage roadway.

The Dong Taijinar (DT) and Xi Taijinar (XT) Salt Lakes have been extensively researched for their mineral richness. However, the composition and distribution of their microbial communities are still poorly known. In this study, we employed metagenomic sequencing to explore the diversity and potential functions of the microbial populations in DT and XT. Our findings indicate that the salinity levels in DT (332.18–358.30 g/L) were tenfold higher than in XT (20.09–36.83 g/L). Notably, archaea dominated the DT domain at 96.16%, while bacteria prevailed in XT at 93.09%. In DT, the bacterial community comprised 33 phyla and 1717 genera, with Marinobacter emerging as the dominant genus, showing a positive correlation with the total phosphorus content. The archaeal community in DT included four main phyla and 153 genera. The most abundant genera were Natronomonas (24.61%) and Halorubrum (23.69%), which had a strong positive correlation with the concentrations of Na+, Ca2+, and Cl−. Conversely, XT hosted 33 phyla and 1906 bacterial genera, with Loktanella as the dominant genus. The archaeal taxonomy in XT encompassed four phyla and 149 genera. In both salt lakes, Proteobacteria and Euryarchaeota were the most abundant bacterial and archaeal phyla, respectively. Our analysis of the halophilic mechanisms of these microorganisms suggests that the bacteria in XT tend to synthesize compatible solutes, whereas the archaea in DT adopt a ‘salt-in’ strategy, integrating salt into their cellular machinery to cope with the high-salinity environment.

Insulators, pivotal to the integrity of railway catenaries, demand impeccable functioning to prevent system failures. Their consistent assessment is vital for railway safety. Current insulator evaluations in subways predominantly involve human intervention, a method fraught with inefficiencies, inaccuracies, and oversights, exacerbated by the complex backdrop of subway tunnels and minuscule defect dimensions. This study introduces an enhanced algorithm, anchored in the YOLOv5 framework, to refine insulator defect identification. Challenges in defect detection include limited, imbalanced data samples and adaptability. Addressing this, an accurate catenary model mirrors the subway line’s architecture, facilitating the creation of synthetic instances of both intact and impaired insulators. An atomization technique augments the dataset volume, fortifying the algorithm’s resilience in reduced visibility conditions, such as fog. Tackling sample equilibrium, the study introduces an equilibrium loss function, assigning disparate weights to various sample categories during training, thereby sharpening the algorithm’s focus on positive instances, particularly those that are challenging to discern, and rectifying the disproportion in sample categories. Incorporating lightweight structures like GhostNet and the Efficient Channel Attention Network (ECA-Net) channel attention scheme not only diminishes the network’s computational demands, thereby elevating the detection capabilities, but also minimizes superfluous data processing, enhancing the accuracy in identifying smaller targets. Empirical analyses indicate substantial model optimization: a size reduction to 60 pp of its original (from 15 MB to 9 MB), a near 1.4 pp increase in mean average precision (mAP) to 96.57%, and a tripling of the detection speed (from 30 to 90 FPS). Real-world image assessments further reveal a mAP improvement of approximately 2.5 pp (reaching 98.43%), confirming the model’s suitability for real-time applications.

Abstract To analyze the plastic failure process and mechanism of gob floor in the process of close‐distance coal seams mining, a simplified mechanical model of the lateral abutment pressure of the gob was proposed to derive the stress of surrounding rock. The distribution characteristics of gob floor stress deviator were obtained, and the effect of geological parameters (coal depth H and horizontal lateral pressure coefficient λ) were studied. By combining Mohr–Coulomb theory, the influence of surrounding rock cohesion c, internal friction angle φ, different coal seam depths H and different horizontal lateral pressure coefficients λ on the distribution of plastic zone of gob floor was obtained. The results showed that the distribution of the plastic zone under different geological factors is roughly the same as that of the stress deviator. This also proves that the excavation of the rock layer causes the redistribution of stress, which leads to the plastic failure of the surrounding rock. To verify the rationality of the proposed model, industrial experiments and simulation experiments were carried out. The results of on‐site investigation showed that the stability and integrity of surrounding rock in the concentration area of stress deviator is far less than that in the low concentration area. In addition, the acoustic wave test and the displacement field monitoring result of surrounding rock in the simulation experiments of a similar model are basically consistent with the distribution of the stress deviator field. These results agree well with the distribution of stress deviator obtained by theoretical calculation.

This paper proposes an adaptive filtering method called the Adaptive Moving spectral Depolarization Ratio (AMsDR) filter to mitigate the clutter for dual-polarization weather radar based on Jensen-Shannon divergence principle. Specifically, the spectral depolarization ratio in the range-Doppler domain is the main variable distinguishing precipitation from clutter. The AMsDR filter can remove the clutter and noise and retain precipitation based on the difference of the spectral polarization feature and the spectral continuity of precipitation and clutter. The AMsDR filter can adaptively select the filter threshold depending on the echo difference between precipitation and clutter in different azimuths. Thus, the performance of the proposed filter is better than that of the current methods.

BackgroundUnderstanding the occurrence and severity of child injuries is the cornerstone of preventing child injuries. Currently, there is no standardized child injury surveillance dataset in China.MethodsMultistage consultation by a panel of Chinese experts in child injury to determine items to include in the core dataset (CDS) was performed. The experts participated in two rounds of the modified Delphi method comprising a consultation questionnaire investigation (Round 1) and a face-to-face panel discussion (Round 2). Final consensus was established based on the opinions of the experts regarding the modified CDS information collection items. Enthusiasm and authority exhibited by the experts were evaluated by the response rate and using the expert authority coefficient, respectively.ResultsThe expert panel included 16 experts in Round 1 and 15 experts in Round 2. The experts during both rounds had a high degree of authority, with an average authority coefficient of 0.86. The enthusiasm of the experts was 94.12%, and the proportion of suggestions reached 81.25% in Round 1 of the modified Delphi method. The draft CDS evaluated in Round 1 included 24 items, and expert panelists could submit recommendations to add items. Based on findings in Round 1, four additional items, including nationality, residence, type of family residence, and primary caregiver were added to the draft of the CDS for Round 2. After Round 2, consensus was reached on 32 items arranged into four domains—general demographic information, injury characteristics, clinical diagnosis and treatment, and injury outcome—to include in the final CDS.ConclusionThe development of a child injury surveillance CDS could contribute to standardized data collection, collation, and analysis. The CDS developed here could be used to identify actionable characteristics of child injury to assist health policymakers in designing evidence-based injury prevention interventions.

BackgroundBartter syndrome (BS) type III is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disease. Its clinical features are polyuria, hypokalemia, hypochloremia, metabolic alkalosis, and hyperreninaemia. A few BS type III can be complicated with chronic kidney disease.Case presentationWe report a 14-year-old boy with Bartter syndrome caused by a c.1792C > T (p.Q598*) mutation in the CLCNKB gene. He was a no deafness and full-term baby, and he had renal dysplasia and chronic kidney disease (CKD). In addition, we summarize all cases of BS type III complicated with CKD.ConclusionsWe report a case of Bartter syndrome complicated by chronic kidney disease caused by a new mutation of CLCNKB. As we all know, BS type IV is usually combined with chronic kidney disease, and BS type III can also integrate with CKD. We don't find BS type III with glomerular dysplasia in the literature. So renal damage in BS type III is not only FSGS; clinicians must also be aware of glomerular dysplasia.

BackgroundCurrent first-line anti-proteinuric treatments do not produce a satisfactory therapeutic effect in a considerable number of patients with nephrotic syndrome (NS). Interest in adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) for the treatment of NS has recently been revived. The present study investigated the efficacy and safety of ACTH treatment in children with frequent relapsing NS (FRNS), steroid-dependent NS (SDNS), and steroid-resistant NS (SRNS).MethodThe ACTH treatment group was comprised of NS patients receiving ACTH treatment. Patients with serum cortisol concentrations

In radar electronic countermeasures, as the difference between jamming and targets continues to decrease, traditional methods that are implemented based on classical features are currently unable to meet the requirements of jamming detection. Compared with classical features such as texture, scale, and shape, shadow has better discernability and separability. In this paper, target shadow is investigated and applied to detect jamming in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images, and a SAR false target identification method based on shadow features is proposed. First, a difference image is generated by change detection, which can extract the shadow region in single-time SAR images. Then, a three-step differentiation condition is proposed, which can distinguish false targets from real targets. Simulated experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively extract the shadow region in SAR images and accurately distinguishreal and false targets. Furthermore, the potential of shadow in SAR image interpretation and electronic countermeasures is also demonstrated.

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs), as 0D graphene nanomaterials, have aroused increasing interest in chemiresistive gas sensors owing to their remarkable physicochemical properties and tunable electronic structures. Research on GQDs has been booming over the past decades, and a number of excellent review articles have been provided on various other sensing principles of GQDs, such as fluorescence-based ion-sensing, bio-sensing, bio-imaging, and electrochemical, photoelectrochemical, and electrochemiluminescence sensing, and therapeutic, energy and catalysis applications. However, so far, there is no single review article on the application of GQDs in the field of chemiresistive gas sensing. This is our primary inspiration for writing this review, with a focus on the chemiresistive gas sensors reported using GQD-based composites. In this review, the various synthesized strategies of GQDs and its composites, gas sensing enhancement mechanisms, and the resulting sensing characteristics are presented. Finally, the current challenges and future prospects of GQDs in the abovementioned application filed have been discussed for the more rational design of advanced GQDs-based gas-sensing materials and innovative gas sensors with novel functionalities.

Abstract The superstructure rotation method (SRM) has been widely used in recent years due to its rapid construction, low cost and less impact on existing traffic.This paper focuses on construction method and the key parameters related with large angle synchronous rotation construction of T-shape curved rigid frame bridges, taking two bridges of the Wuyi Expressway over the Chengdu-Kunming Railway as the engineering background.The results show that the construction methods used in this project can accomplish the realization of complexed synchronous rotation execution of T-shape curve rigid frame bridge. The construction methods consist of the installation process of ball joint, the design of traction system, accuracy control method and rotation control strategy.The friction coefficients from practical measurements were compared with the analytical ones from existing formulas, and it shows that the calculation method can give good predictions for the friction coefficients at the SRM of curve rigid frame bridge.Finally, the key technologies and determination of key parameters applicable for large angle synchronous rotation construction of curve T-shape rigid frame bridge are summarized. Furthermore, the research results in this paper can provide technical recommendation for the construction of the similar bridges.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with multi-system involvement as the main manifestation, and has complex and diverse clinical features. Studies on large samples have revealed that SLE patients have a significantly increased risk of thrombotic events, which are also one of the important causes of morbidity and mortality in SLE patients. Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a rare autoimmune disorder characterized by recurrent arterial and venous thrombosis, pregnancy-related complications, and the persistence of antiphospholipid antibodies at a 12-week interval. There are few reports about SLE coexisting with APS in children. This paper reported a school-age patient who started the disease with gross hematuria after bumping into the waist. The initial diagnosis of renal contusion was then confirmed by color Doppler ultrasound as renal vein and inferior vena cava embolism. She suddenly developed severe chest pain and dyspnea 3 days after hospitalization. And imaging supported pulmonary embolism with massive proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, and hypercholesterolemia. The initial diagnosis was nephrotic syndrome (NS) with arteriovenous embolization, and popliteal vein embolism occurred again 5 years later, and she was thus diagnosed with SLE coexisting with APS. Afterwards, we discussed the possible mechanism and therapeutic strategies of SLE&APS that started with nephrotic syndrome, in order to achieve early identification and treatment of the disease and improve the prognosis of children.

Objective To evaluate the clinical outcome of manual reduction combined with pedicle fixation through Wiltse paraspinal approach (WPA) in the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures. Methods From May 2017 to May 2019, 48 thoracolumbar fractures patients without neurological symptoms were enrolled in this study. Forty‐eight patients were randomly divided into two groups based on the different surgical treatment. Group 1 was manual reduction combined with pedicle screw fixation through Wiltse paraspinal approach treatment group. Group 2 was pedicle screw fixation through traditional posterior approach treatment group. The operation time (OT), intraoperative blood loss (BL), postoperative drainage (PD), time of brace (TB) and the cobb angle recovery of the injured kyphosis in the prone position were obtained and compared between the two groups, respectively. Comparison of cobb angle changes, serum creatine kinase (CK) level, pain visual analogue score (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), and multifidus cross‐sectional (MCS) area changes were achieved between the two groups, respectively. Results Forty‐eight patients were enrolled in this study and each group had 24 patients. There was no significant difference between the two groups in patient's age, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI). There were 20 males and four females in group 1. The mean age, height, weight, and BMI of patients were 61.99 ± 11.00 years (range, 42–75 years), 175.21 ± 4.49 cm, 76.71 ± 4.87 kg, and 24.98 ± 1.03 kg/m2 in group 1, respectively. Group 2 had 18 males and six females, and the mean age, height, weight, and BMI of patients were 57.95 ± 9.22 years (range, 44–77 years), 176.37 ± 4.56 cm, 77.42 ± 4.61 kg, and 24.87 ± 1.10 kg/m2 in group 2, respectively. The mean bleeding volume of group 1 was significantly less than group 2 (64.13 ± 9.77 ml and 152.13 ± 10.73 ml, respectively) (P

To mitigate Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) for polarimetric Doppler weather radars, this paper proposes to use spectral polarimetric filters. Polarimetric weather radars can be divided into two basic categories: Simultaneously Transmitting and Simultaneously Receiving (STSR) and Alternately Transmitting and Simultaneously Receiving (ATSR). First, the real RFI measurements from an operational C-band STSR weather radar help characterize the temporal, spectral and polarimetric features of RFI. Then, RFI is simulated in an X-band ATSR radar to quantify the performances of spectral polarimetric filters. Overall, spectral polarimetric filters can keep the precipitation and remove RFI in an ATSR radar. Finally, the data division method is put forward for STSR radars by mimicking the ATSR measurements. Good performance in RFI mitigation is also verified by using the same spectral polarimetric filters.

Micromotion targets can enable microDoppler modulation on electromagnetic waves owing to their motion components in different directions, resulting in the defocusing effects of the target imaging features along the azimuth direction. This phenomenon has been widely considered and investigated in target recognition and antirecognition. As a research hotspot, electronically controlled time-varying electromagnetic materials have fast modulation characteristics; however, their imaging characteristics have not received much attention. This study investigates the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) modulation characteristics along the range direction of electronically controlled time-varying electromagnetic materials. Then, this study establishes the time-varying electromagnetic material spectrum transformation model and analyzes the SAR target characteristic control principle. Taking the Phase-Switched Screen (PSS) as an example, a nonperiodic PSS phase modulation model is established, and its spectrum has continuous frequency shift characteristics. On this basis, the influence of continuous frequency shift modulation induced by nonperiodic PSS on SAR was further discussed and the defocusing phenomenon of the target along the range direction was detected. Through the simulation of measured data, the validity of the proposed theoretical method is verified.

Background: Given the increasing burden of chronic conditions, multimorbidity is now a priority for public health systems worldwide. However, the relationship between household air pollution (HAP) exposure with multimorbidity remains unclear. Methods: We used three waves data (2011, 2013, and 2015) including 19,295 participants aged ≥ 45 years from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, to investigate the association between HAP exposure from solid fuel use for heating and cooking with the risk of chronic multimorbidity. Multimorbidity was defined as the coexistence of two or more of 15 chronic diseases (hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, heart disease, stroke, cardiovascular disease, chronic lung disease, asthma, kidney disease, liver disease, digestive disease, cancer, psychiatric disease, memory-related disease, and arthritis). Multiple logistic regression investigated the association between solid fuel use for heating and cooking, separately or simultaneously, with the risk of multimorbidity. Poisson regression with quasi-likelihood estimation explored whether solid fuel exposure could increase the number of morbidities. Stratified analyses and sensitivity analyses examined the effect modification and robustness of the association. Results: Of the 19,295 participants (mean age: 58.9 years), 40.9 % have multimorbidity. Compared with participants who used clean fuels for heating and cooking, the risk was higher in mixed fuel (adjusted odds ratio, aOR = 1.26, 95 %CI:1.16–1.36) and solid fuel users (aOR = 1.81, 1.67–1.98) separately. HAP from solid fuel use was positively associated with an increased number of morbidities (adjusted β = 0.329, 0.290 to 0.368), after controlling for confounders. Those living in a one-story building, with poor household cleanliness have a higher risk of multimorbidity. No significant modifications of those associations by the socio-demographic and behaviour characteristics was observed. Conclusions: HAP from solid fuel use is associated with a high risk of chronic multimorbidity in Chinese adults. Our findings provide important implications for reducing chronic disease burden by restricting solid fuel use.

ObjectiveTo investigate the characteristics of renal pathological grades in Henoch–Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) children with mild to moderate proteinuria and the correlation between pathological grade and severity of proteinuria among this population.MethodsHSPN children who were presented with mild (150 mg 0.05). (3) In patients with mild proteinuria (n = 51), 27 (52.9%) HSPN children had a pathological grade ≥ grade III. In patients with moderate proteinuria (n = 21), 13 (61.9%) HSPN children had grade ≥ III. There was no significant difference in the proportion of renal pathological grade between the 2 groups (p > 0.05). (4) There was no significant correlation between glomerular C3 deposits or immunoglobulin deposit types and renal pathological grade (p = 0.776 and p = 0.056 respectively).ConclusionIn HSPN children with mild to moderate proteinuria, longer disease course or heavier urinary protein level is not completely parallel with higher renal pathological grade. ISKDC grade IIIa is the most common pathological grade. Clinicians should pay great attention to the renal injury in patients with mild to moderate proteinuria.

Purpose: The study aimed to report a rare case of a patient with Alport syndrome, which was manifested as unilateral non-infectious uveitis after bilateral cataract surgery.Methods: A case report.Results: A 2-year-old boy was diagnosed with unilateral panuveitis based on the clinical and multimodal imaging findings. Intraocular fluid samples for metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and microbial culture were negative. However, urine tests found proteinuria and microscopic hematuria. Pathologic findings of the kidney revealed a thickened membrane, and a diagnosis of Alport syndrome was considered. Gene analysis found deletions in exon 1 of COL4A5 and exons 1 and 2 of COL4A6. The uveitis resolved gradually, following the administration of oral steroids.Conclusion: Uveitis may be an ocular manifestation of Alport syndrome.

Immunoglobulin A vasculitis (IgAV), formerly known as Henoch-Schönlein purpura, is the most common systemic vasculitis in children, characterized by diverse clinical manifestations with a wide spectrum ranging from isolated cutaneous vasculitis to systemic involvement. The incidence of IgAV is geographically and ethnically variable, with a prevalence in autumn and winter, suggesting a driving role that genetic and environmental factors play in the disease. Although IgAV has a certain degree of natural remission, it varies widely among individuals. Some patients can suffer from severe renal involvement and even progress to end-stage renal disease. Its pathogenesis is complex and has not been fully elucidated. The formation of galactose-deficient IgA1 (Gd-IgA1) and related immune complexes plays a vital role in promoting the occurrence and development of IgAV nephritis. In addition, neutrophil activation is stimulated through the binding of IgA to the Fc alpha receptor I expressed on its surface, resulting in systemic vascular inflammation and tissue damage. Starting from the epidemiological characteristics, this article will review the role of immunological factors such as Gd-IgA1, autoantibodies, circulating immune complexes, complement system, cellular immunization, and the contributions of environmental and genetic factors in the pathogenesis of IgAV, and conclude with the major biomarkers for IgAV.

Compared with lever-type amplification mechanisms, bridge-type flexible amplification mechanisms have advantages in terms of amplification ratio and structural compactness. Therefore, they can effectively replace the lever-type amplification mechanism in the existing hair-like sensors and realize the development of miniature hair-like sensors with high sensitivity. With that in mind, a highly sensitive hair-like sensor based on a bridge-type amplification mechanism with distributed flexibility is presented to measure the airflow rate. First, the structural composition and operating principle of the hair-like sensor are described. Then, detailed design and analysis of the hair-like sensor are carried out, focusing on the design of the hair post structure, amplification mechanism, and resonator. Furthermore, the designed hair-like sensor is processed and prepared, and some experimental studies are conducted. The experimental results demonstrate that the developed hair-like sensor can measure the airflow rate with high sensitivity up to 8.56 Hz/(m/s)2. This provides a new concept for the structural design of hair-like sensors and expands the application of bridge-type flexible amplification mechanisms in the field of micro/nano sensors.

Excretion and lying are key behavioral factors that cause pen fouling, thereby affecting pig welfare, pathogen fecal–oral transmission, and air quality in pig housing. This study investigated the effect of space allowance and toy provision on the spatiotemporal distribution of pigs’ excreting and lying behavior, as well as the score of floor cleanliness in finishing pig pens. A total of 144 Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc hybrid fattening pigs were randomly assigned to 12 part-slatted pens at stocking densities of 0.75, 1.05, and 1.35 m2/pig with 12 pigs per pen, and 2 pens at each density level were provided with hanging chains and rubber stars as toys. The results showed that for the average daily gain (ADG) of the pigs, the main effect of space allowance was significant (p < 0.05). The ADG at the stocking density level of 1.35 m2/pig was significantly higher than 0.75 and 1.05 m2/pig (p < 0.05). The ADG of the pigs at a density of 0.75 m2/pig in the toys group was significantly higher than the no toys group (p < 0.05). When occupied space was limited, the provision of toys was beneficial to the growth performance of the pigs. Space allowance and toy provision did not affect the time-varying regularity of the pigs but had a certain impact on the areas where the two behaviors occurred. At a density of 1.35 m2/pig, the excreting rate in the corner areas of the slatted floor and the lying rate in the middle area of the solid floor were significantly higher than at a density of 0.75 and 1.05 m2/pig (p < 0.05). Under the conditions of this study, when the stocking density was 1.35 m2/pig and toys were provided, the average daily gain of the pigs was the highest, and the pigs excreted more in the defined excretion area, lay more in the lying area, and the cleanliness of the lying area was also higher. In the case of space constraints, the provision of toys can offset some of the adverse effects of space constraints on pig growth and pen cleanliness.

A representative general polarimetric model-based decomposition framework was proposed by Chen et al., which implements a simultaneous full-parameter inversion by using complete polarimetric information and solves several limitations in previous decomposition methods. However, there are still shortcomings in Chen’s work. Firstly, only the real part of the parameter β in the generalized surface scattering model is considered. Secondly, inappropriate initial input values may lead to local optima in the nonlinear least squares optimization algorithm. Thirdly, the volume scattering component is underestimated in the volume scattering-dominated scene, but overestimated in buildings with large orientation (LOB) areas. Finally, nonlinear optimization is time-consuming computationally. To overcome those issues, an improved generalized polarimetric model-based decomposition method is proposed in this paper. The imaginary part of the parameter β is incorporated into the decomposition framework of the proposed method. Ingeniously utilizing the internal relationship in the generic equations composed of coherent matrix elements, the model parameters can be inversed by simplifying the nonlinear equations to linear equations. Therefore, compared with Chen’s method, the proposed method does not rely on the initial input values, and improves the computational efficiency. In addition, a hierarchical decomposition scheme is presented to solve the problem of underestimation or overestimation of volume scattering component mentioned above. The performance and advantages of this method are evaluated with L-band and C-band polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (PolSAR) data sets. Comparison studies are carried out with other model-based decomposition methods, demonstrating that the proposed method can further improve decomposition performance, especially in LOB areas.

Abstract Background Cadmium (Cd) is a common heavy metal that mainly causes renal damage. There is a lack of research on the large-scale and systematic evaluation of the association between urinary Cd (U-Cd) and various effect biomarkers among Chinese residents. Methods Based on the establishment process of dietary Cd limit standards by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the dose–response relationships between U-Cd and four biomarkers, β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), N-acetyl-β-glucosidase (NAG), microalbumin (mALB), and retinol binding Protein (RBP) were explored, respectively. Toxicokinetic model was used to derive the dietary Cd exposure limit for Chinese residents after critical U-Cd concentration was calculated. Results As the sensitive biomarkers of renal injury, β2-MG and NAG were selected to estimate the 95% confidence interval lower limit of the U-Cd benchmark dose (BMDL5) to be 3.07 and 2.98 μg/g Cr, respectively. Dietary Cd exposure limit was calculated to be 0.28 μg/kg bw/day (16.8 μg/day, based on the body weight of 60 kg), which was lower than the average Chinese Cd exposure (30.6 μg/day) by the China National Nutrient and Health Survey. Conclusion This study established an overall association between U-Cd and renal injury biomarkers, and explored the Chinese dietary Cd exposure limits, which helps improve Chinese Cd exposure risk assessment and provides a reference basis for formulating reasonable exposure standards.

Steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS) is one of the major causes of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in children and young adults. For approximately 30% of children with SRNS results from a genetic cause. In this study, genotype-phenotype correlations in a cohort of 283 pediatric patients with SRNS or early-onset NS (nephrotic syndrome presenting within the first year of life) from 23 major pediatric nephrology centers in China were analyzed. All patients were performed with next-generation sequencing and Sanger sequencing. The overall mutation detection rate was 37.5% (106 of 283 patients). WT1 was the most frequently detected mutation, followed by NPHS1, NPHS2, and ADCK4, and these four major causative genes (WT1, NPHS1, NPHS2, and ADCK4) account for 73.6% of patients with monogenic SRNS. Thirteen of 106 individuals (12.3%) carried mutations in ADCK4 that function within the coenzyme Q10 biosynthesis pathway. In the higher frequently ADCK4-related SRNS, two mutations, c.737G>A (p.S246N) and c.748G>C (p.D250H), were the most prevalent. Our study provides not only definitive diagnosis but also facilitate available targeted treatment for SRNS, and prediction of prognosis and renal outcome. Our indications for genetic testing are patients with FSGS, initial SRNS, cases of positive family history or those with extra-renal manifestations.

A mixing fan and spraying system is commonly used to control the indoor environment of naturally ventilated dairy barns worldwide. However, its impact on particulate matter (PM) concentration and variation is still unclear due to the lack of year-round field data. To systematically characterize the PM dynamics under different environmental controls (namely, EC1: No Fans and No Spraying; EC2: Fans; EC3: Fans and Spraying), a year-round continuous monitoring of PM less than 2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter (PM2.5) and total suspended particle (TSP) concentrations, as well as indoor environmental factors, was carried out inside a naturally ventilated dairy barn using an IoT-based sensor monitoring network. Results showed that the hourly mean TSP and PM2.5 concentrations were 94.7 μg m−3 and 49.8 μg m−3, respectively. EC2 had a higher TSP content (116.6 μg m−3) than EC1 (98.0 μg m−3) and EC3 (81.9 μg m−3). EC1 had the greatest PM2.5 concentration (57.1 μg m−3), followed by EC2 (48.3 μg m−3) and EC3 (44.7 μg m−3). EC1 showed clear TSP and PM2.5 fluctuations during the daily operations at 07:00 to 08:00 and 18:00 to 19:00, while irregular peaks in EC2 and a relatively steady diurnal variation in EC3 were found. Daily Tsp concentrations in the three ECs did not exceed 300 μg m−3. However, 17.8%, 11.5%, and 4.8% of the observed days in EC1, EC2, and EC3 had daily mean PM2.5 concentrations above the healthy threshold (75 μg m−3), mostly from 07:00 to 08:00 and 22:00–07:00. In conclusion, the mixing fan and spraying system had significant effects on PM concentration and variation, and more protection procedures should be taken for farm workers to prevent long-term health risk exposure, to EC1 in particular.

In this article, a spectral polarimetric filter named moving spectral depolarization ratio (MsDR) filter is proposed to mitigate the effects of clutter and noise for dual-polarization weather radar without cross-polar measurements. The filter is based on a spectral polarimetric variable termed as spectral depolarization ratio (sDR). sDR can be estimated by any polarimetric weather radar, making the MsDR filter widely applicable. Taking advantage of the spectral polarimetric features and the range-Doppler continuity of precipitation, the MsDR filter is implemented in the range-Doppler spectrogram. The performance of the MsDR filter is assessed using data collected by 1) an X-band full-polarimetric radar interfered by narrow-band clutter (both stationary and moving) and sidelobe wind turbine clutter; 2) a C-band operational dual-polarization radar affected by radio frequency interference. In addition, the implementation of the MsDR filter is straightforward, and the computational complexity is relatively low. Hence, the MsDR filter has great potential to be applied in real-time for operational radar systems at different frequencies.

The technical background of EM metamaterials was introduced, the development history and working mechanism of electrically controlled LC technology, the latest developments in the research and application of electrically controlled LC phased array antenna were illustrated.The electrically controlled LC phased array antenna’s advantages and disadvantages were summarized.Finally, the future prospect of LC metamaterials in the fi eld of EM metamaterials was expounded.

ObjectivesIntrauterine malnutrition has a long-term effect on respiratory and lung function. However, few studies have explored the association between early-life exposure to famine with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in adulthood. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association of early-life exposure to the Chinese famine of 1959–1962 with asthma and COPD later in life.MethodsThis national population-based study included 6,771 participants from the baseline survey of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) who were born around the time of the Chinese famine. The famine exposure groups were determined according to the participants' birth year as non-exposed (1964–1967), fetal-exposed (1959–1962), preschool-exposed (1954–1957), and school-age exposed (1950–1953). Information about the demographic characteristics, self-reported doctor-diagnosed asthma and COPD, behavior and lifestyles, and indoor pollution were collected using validated questionnaires. In addition, peak expiratory flow (PEF) was measured to assess pulmonary function. Multivariable logistic regression and generalized linear mixed models were performed to explore the risk of adult asthma and COPD, PEF changes during various famine exposure periods compared with the non-exposed group. Stratified and sensitivity analyses were conducted to examine the modification and robustness of the association.ResultsThe prevalence of doctor-diagnosed asthma and COPD was 2.8 and 8.1%, respectively. Compared with the non-exposed group, the risk was significantly higher in the fetal-exposed group for asthma [adjusted odds ratio, (aOR) = 1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI):1.14–3.07] and the school-age exposed group [1.30 (1.00–1.69)] for COPD after controlling for confounders. Furthermore, we observed that fetal exposure to famine was significantly associated with a decrement of PEF in adulthood [β = −11.38 (−22.75 to −0.02)] compared with the non-exposed group. Stratified analyses showed that the association of asthma was stronger in men, who resided in severely famine-affected areas, smoked, and used solid fuels for cooking. No clearly consistent association was observed for subsequent COPD.ConclusionsOur results suggest that fetal exposure to the Chinese famine is significantly associated with the increased risk of asthma in adulthood. Future prospective studies are warranted to examine the association and mechanisms.

Breast cancer, as the common malignant carcinoma in women, seriously reduces the life quality and increases mortality of female worldwide. Fortunately, insufficient chemotherapy with external photothermal therapy could remarkably improve the therapeutic efficiency of breast cancer. In this work, we proposed a polydopamine (PDA) and tetrasulfide bond co-doped hollowed mesoporous silica nanospheres with Dox loading and surface hyaluronic acid coating for drug leakage avoidance (PhMSON@Dox-HA). After intravenously injected into tumor bearing-mice, this therapeutic agent could effectively target to the tumor site owing to the HA modification. The biocompatible property and GSH-induced decomposition capability endows the precise release of drugs in the cytoplasm of tumor cells. Meanwhile, PDA facilitated the efficient photothermal therapy under 808 nm laser irradiation. Therefore, the synergistic effect of chemo-photothermal therapy possessed most effective tumor eradication ability. Our work exploits the design approach of biocompatible and degradable drug delivery nanocarriers and sheds bright light on the chemotherapy and photothermal therapy combination for the malignant tumor elimination.